On May 13, 2021, after a short illness, Joseph Carl Such, 98, passed away at home surrounded by his family. He was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas to the late Carl Emmanuel Such and Alta M. Such. He graduated from Catholic High School of Little Rock in 1941. Joseph served in the U.S. Army Air Force, August 1943-March 1946, achieving the rank of Staff Sargent. His wartime service included repairing aircraft radio equipment, from which he moved into radar mechanics and eventually became an instructor of this new technology. The final two months he served he oversaw a course, supervising 100 students and 20 instructors.
He married Rita Theresa Meyer on September 16, 1950 and the couple moved to North Carolina in 1958. He taught TV and radio repair and maintenance for a while, then he worked for the Federal Aviation Administration from 1953-1983, mostly managing the radar for the Raleigh-Durham Airport. In the late 1950s he also authored an FAA training manual on radar for all the staff of East coast facilities.
Joseph is survived by his wife of 70 years, Rita M. Such; children, Christine Mulder (Robert) of Raleigh; Lawrence Such (Loan) of Clayton; Rita Vanbebber of Speedwell, Tenn.; Thomas Such (Bernadette) of Ashboro; and Joyce Blakley (Mark) of Raleigh; grandchildren: Bridget Way (Tyler), Daniel Mulder (Amber), Steven Such, Travis Such (Jessica), Mandy White (Cameron), Joseph Vanbebber (Lindsey), David Vanbebber (Angie), Brian Such, Timothy Such (Christina), David Such (Cally), Gina Such, Sam Blakley and Jacob Blakley; and great grandchildren: Lauren, Rebecca, Cash, Ty Cooper, Avett, Colton, Audrey and Vivienne. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Mary Golden and brother Andrew M. Such; son Wayne, daughters Helen and Catherine (all three died in infancy); son-in-law, James Vanbebber, and great grandson, Tyson Such.
Joe was fond of fishing, golf, and bowling. He enjoyed making and fixing things--there seemed to be nothing he couldn't repair or build from scratch. He was involved with the Boy Scouts, as were both of his sons. He was inducted into the Order of Arrow and was an assistant Scout Master. He volunteered at the Clemmons Forest in Johnston County, helping to keep their "talking trees" talking to visitors. Joe and Rita were members of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh for several decades, volunteering and supporting the parish and school in many ways. They made sacrifices to give their five surviving children a Catholic education and other opportunities. Joseph leaves behind many friends as well as a family that will miss his smile, his wit, and his eagerness to help others.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice in honor of Joe, or to: Heartland Hospice, who provided invaluable help and support to both Joe and the family.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church in Clayton on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 11 am.
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